On Set Welfare provide nationally recognised and accredited training programmes in Mental Health First Aid which are specifically tailored to TV & Film production industry. Our courses are for production staff and crew, including Executive Producers, Casting Producers, Production Managers, researchers, chaperones and any other individuals who regularly come into contact with contributors and performers in the context of TV, Film and other media projects.
Our Mental Health First Aid training programmes teach production staff how to spot the signs when someone may be developing a mental health problem or might be experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health problem. It is important to be able to tell when someone, whether it is a contributor, performer or even a fellow production crew member or colleague, might be in danger of having a mental health crisis. Crucially, it is important to know what you can do to help and how you can avoid worsening any problems that someone may be experiencing.
Just as taking a traditional First Aid training course will not make you a Doctor, a Mental Health First Aid training course cannot teach you how to diagnose or treat a mental health or substance use condition. This is something that only a fully qualified and appropriately trained professional can do. However, Mental Health First Aid training will teach you what to look out for, how to tell when it is the right time to call a professional, and how you can best offer initial support until appropriate professional help is received or a mental health crisis has been resolved.
Most production companies are aware that they need to have several members of staff and crew on hand who are First Aid trained (and even Fire Safety trained) in case a physical health crisis occurs, or another life threatening situation arises. However, it is only in relatively recent times that mental health problems have been recognised and given the degree of importance that they so desperately need. Having an appropriately trained Mental Health First Aider on set, or on location, can literally mean the difference between life and death.
At On Set Welfare, we tailor all our courses to deliver learning opportunities best suited for professionals in the TV, Film and Media industries and equip our delegates with the skills and knowledge to help them provide much needed emergency help and support.
Delegates learn how to:
Mental Health conditions can be difficult for people to talk about, they don’t always attract the empathy and understanding that a medical condition might receive. Many people worry that they’ll be judged, and feel concerned that if they disclose a problem, it could affect their career and reduce their opportunities. Perhaps you yourself would be concerned that if you revealed any difficulties you might be having, you might not be hired for your next job. Mental Health problems can be especially difficult to talk about within the TV & Film production industries where many people want to be chosen to appear on TV, and production staff often work as freelancers and worry about getting their next job. As a result, people in the media often attempt to hide how they are really feeling. Having properly trained Mental Health First Aiders on hand, can make a huge difference to the psychological and emotional welfare of contributors and crew, in fact Mental Health First Aid training can save lives.